


underworld

by collarboneworm



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Greek Mythology
Genre: Eventual Fluff, F/M, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Persephone Goes Willingly With Hades (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, confident persephone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:14:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28630113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collarboneworm/pseuds/collarboneworm
Summary: Persephone stumbles upon the entrance to the Underworld and decides to go in.
Relationships: Persephone & Hades, Persephone/Hades
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. The wandering

**Author's Note:**

> Hiii!  
> So this is actually my first ever fic/time posting something of mine, so I hope y'all can enjoy it. I got inspired when listening to a podcast about greek mythology, which mentioned that the Hades x Persephone story that's more commonly known, the kidnapping one, was actually written later than the original, where Persephone kinda stumbles into the Underworld and decides to stay (i absolutely love this version, as she should, go off, become the queen of the Underworld).

Sun was just right above Persephone as she was walking through the beautiful flower fields that belonged to Demeter, her mother.

„Oh Helios, you are so sly. Can’t take a break just for a moment while I visit the flowers, can you? “ she chuckled playfully while looking at the sky. Not a single cloud, that Helios could sit on for a while and Persephone could escape the heat in sight.  
Not that it bothered her much. She adored the way her beloved flowers soaked the sun rays in, growing even stronger and more colorful.

  
Each day she walked through the fields, gently laying her hand upon each flower to give it love. This day was no different, although she decided to change up her usual route a bit. Instead of continuing on the path that lead straight through the fields, she stepped off and wandered into a small forest nearby that guarded Demeter’s flowers.

  
It wasn’t too big, a few dozen trees and in the middle of them was a beautiful clearing. A creek, on the opposite end of where she stood, gently making its way through the trees, creating sort of a border between them and the clearing. Here and there she saw a few deer and does peacefully making their way to drink from the creek.

  
The whole scenery left Persephone speechless. She wandered through the forest before, but this was the first time she came upon this particular place.  
“Oh Artemis, you truly outdid yourself with this one, I must say. Such a magical place. No wonder you hid it so well,” she managed to say after a few moments. Still in shock, she decided to explore the alluring scene she stumbled upon, careful as to not step on any flower or small animal that may have been hiding in the somewhat tall grass.  
She didn’t even realize it, her mind fully occupied by what she was seeing, she found herself on the other end of the clearing, right by the small creek. Not ready to leave this peaceful paradise just yet, she took a big step and crossed the calm body of water.  
As she set her foot on the other side, Persephone suddenly realized that the forest got a lot denser, not letting much sunlight in. The places that were touched by the sun rays were the places Helios could see clearly from the sky.  
The thought of the young, playful god getting grumpy at the realization that he couldn’t see through this masterpiece, which came from the hands of Artemis, made Persephone chuckle. She could clearly see Helios finding this blind spot from the sky, as he rode his golden chariot and becoming furious. The god of the sun loved the fact, that nothing could escape his eyes. “Oh dear Helios, this really must have put you on edge,” she thought to herself. She was sure that within days the godly youth would storm to Zeus and whine about Artemis covering the forest.

  
The forest was becoming darker and darker with each step she took and yet there wasn’t a single fear in her body, knowing that nothing from nature would dare to hurt her, as Demeter was, after all, her mother and she was still on her land.  
She laid her hand gently and lovingly on each tree and bush she passed, she has been doing that ever since she was born. She felt like it deepened her connection with the nature.

  
After walking for some time, Persephone suddenly realized she was standing in front of a cave. Not fearing of getting lost, as she was always able to find her way around, she decided to go in. “It’s just a cave, really, what could go wrong?” she asked herself, descending into the unknown.

  
She couldn’t imagine a living person making their way through the complex cave system. Only when she could no longer see or feel Helios’s warmth, had it become clear to her how deep she had descended.  
Once her eyes got used to the dimness of the place, Persephone started to look around. She could hear water flowing somewhere close. Deciding to go after the sound, she found the source. A wide river savagely coursing right in front of her.

  
“Did I just stumble upon- Is this the entrance to the Underworld? To Hades himself? It can’t be…or?” thoughts racing through her mind. How could the entrance be so easy to find? It didn’t make sense to her.  
She knew, that if what she suspected was true and this place was, in fact, the Underworld, she couldn’t pass the river Styx. There is no way that the fearsome Charon, who was the one guiding souls of the dead from one shore to the other, would let her pass. Only the souls of the ones properly buried with a coin under their tongue or over the eye were allowed to get onto Charon’s boat.

  
Suddenly, Persephone could make out something moving towards her in the darkness. As the moving object got closer, she realized who this person with long tangled beard, somewhat crooked nose and animalistic teeth was. None other than Charon himself.

  
Each time his shabby boat hit the shore, unburied souls, that were turned away again and again, emerged, trying their luck. Persephone also noticed the unexpected, yet harmless companions.  
Charon looked her up and down, sensing the presence of a goddess and without a single word gave her an inviting look. The goddess realized, that this was an invitation to cross the Styx and thought: “I’m already here, so why not?” and got on. As soon as both of her feet were on the boat, Charon turned to the unburied, who were still standing at the shore, silently pleading to be taken to Hades, and with a loud raspy, yet calm “No!” send them back into their hiding.

  
Persephone knew better than to bother the ferryman, whose boat she was on, and so in silence, she opted to watching the intimidating water. She couldn’t really see much, the water seemed darker than the night itself, but then, her mind was much more occupied with thoughts that were, once again, racing through her mind.  
Why would the guard of Styx let her, a living person, get onto his boat without a single question or word?

  
After few minutes they reached the other shore of Styx. Charon once again turned to Persephone and gave her a ‘We’re here’ look. Persephone understood and with a silent thank you, she stepped off. Charon nodded in response, although not looking her way and began sailing away. Persephone watched the small boat disappear in the darkness, which didn’t take long.  
She found herself standing in front of a giant door. As she got closer, ready to open it, six pairs of eyes were now glued to her person. Turning and knowing what to expect, her eyes were met with the six of the three-headed canine, Cerberus.  
“Well, even if Charon let me pass, this one definitely won’t” she thought to herself. Not ready to give up just yet, as her mind got clouded with curiosity, she reached her hand out, towards the beast.  
All three heads got closer to the hand, which was getting close to them and sniffed. Just like Charon did minutes ago, they also sensed that the woman standing in front of them was a goddess. Cerberus, with a puppy-like whine, lowered his heads and let Persephone touch him. Persephone smiled, delighted with the sudden humbleness of the beast, and pet all three heads. At the touch, Cerberus shook his tail, which Persephone took as a sign that she can open the door.

 _And so she did_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still trying to figure out the formatting and just, in general, how posting on ao3 works so I'm really sorry if it somehow gets messed up. Anyways, if you have any suggestions or ideas, feel free to leave a comment xxx


	2. The meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone and Hades finally meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, this chapter is a little short, but I promise to make up for it in the next one. Enjoy xxx

_And so she did._

Looking around to see where the door leads her, Persephone was now standing in a big empty room. Torches that lined the room were the only source of light.

Directly on the opposite side of the room as the door, there was a massive, quite intimidating throne. Not like the one her father, Zeus has. His throne was made out of gold, probably one of the best Hephaestus’s works there was. Although he didn’t usually make furniture, his work mainly consisted of making armor and weapons for the gods, with the occasional art. That’s what Zeus’s throne was. A work of art.

This throne, on the other end, was much simpler. The sturdy body was made out of beautiful dark ebony wood with a simple black velvet cushion. Each arm rest was sculpted into a serpent with its mouth wide open. On the throne back, Persephone could make out a carving of the three-headed beast she met moments ago, now sitting outside of the room she had just entered, Cerberus. His three heads were looking in a different direction each, as if to say that the owner of the throne was all-seeing in their kingdom.

Persephone was mesmerized by the beautiful chair. The carving was lifelike. She started slowly getting closer and closer. Eyes locked on the two serpent arm rests, as if they came to life and attacked her at any second. Breath held back, she approached the chair. Was she really about to sit down on a stranger’s throne? “I’m a goddess after all, who’s to say I can’t take a seat,” she confidently mumbled to herself.

She sat down. From up there she could see the entire room spread out in front of her. She had noticed that hung above the huge door she came through was a shield. There was some sort of helmet carved in the middle of it, bident with a serpent wrapped around it behind the helmet, and the whole thing was lined with delicately carved mint leaves. She stared at the shield in awe.

Pretty tired now, after walking through the forest, the cave system, and crossing the river, Persephone swung her legs up and over one of the arm rests and rested her body against the other. The warm dim light of the torches combined with the extremely comfortable velvet cushion managed to slowly bring the young goddess to sleep.

The somewhat older god was making his way back from the feast his younger brother Zeus held at Mount Olympus. He always gladly accepted the invitation to a feast, but more often than not, the atmosphere got tense quite quickly. So, as much as he liked spending time with his siblings, returning back to _his_ Underworld was something he never failed to look forward to. After all, the fine ambrosia the Olympians feasted on was not limited to Mount Olympus. The ambrosia Hades had for himself and Underworld deities was just as delicious, even if not better.

Approaching the heavy gate to his throne room, he noticed that Cerberus was not on his usual high alert. This, in return, got Hades alert and caused him to tense up. He has had the canine beast ever since he was just a tiny three-headed puppy and never once did the animal let his guard down like this and dozed off. Did someone poison his dear companion? Just the thought of that alone made him want to send whoever was responsible into the deepest pits of Tartarus to suffer for eternity.

Bident in one hand, he pushed the heavy door with the other, ready to confront whatever was waiting on him on the inside. Hades stepped inside his throne room, expecting an attacker, dumb enough to mess with the god of the Underworld himself but he found nothing. The room was just as he left it before joining the Olympians. Quick but still cautious steps brought him to his throne and there he saw it.

Curled up on _his_ throne was a young woman, deep in her dreams it seemed. Her long flowy dress draped across the ebony throne, legs carelessly thrown over _his_ arm rests. A wreath of flowers sitting on her dark thick hair, Hades couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

Was this the one who managed to subdue his beloved Cerberus?

More importantly, how did she cross Styx? Charon never lets the living cross and yet here she was. Hades was left speechless.

The young goddess must have felt the pair of eyes glued to her, because she started moving. At that, the older god of the Underworld took a few steps away, as to not be caught looming over the sleeping woman. Persephone slowly opened her eyes and took a look around, taking a moment to remember where she was. Her eyes suddenly stopped at the figure standing at the stairs leading to the throne.

She looked the older man up and down. Dark brown hair, a full dark beard and a bident raised in his hand. Persephone’s light blue eyes met Hades’ dark eyes. The older god mesmerized by the younger goddess’ beauty, the younger goddess enchanted by the older god’s kind eyes hiding behind a rough face. Neither of them could or wanted the look away but Hades was the first one to speak up.

“Who are y- How did you even get here?” He had so many questions and wanted answers for all of them. “Persephone, nice to meet you. And as for how I got here, well that’s simple,” she laughed. “I found this beautiful – I really have to let Artemis know that she outdid herself there – clearing. Stepped over a creek, found a cave – next time maybe hide it better – took a left, and there I was, staring at the river Styx. Charon found me there – dear, you should really get him a new boat – and took me over. Cerberus is just a sweetheart, you know. Then I found, what I suppose is your throne, and I may have kind of fallen asleep,” she grinned.

Hades was once again left speechless. Never before has someone he had just met talked to him like this. Sometimes even gods didn’t look him in the eyes right away, as they were overcome with fear or respect. And here was this young goddess calling him dear, two minutes after they met.

“So, let me get this clear, you just _wandered_ into the Underworld and took a nap in my throne?”

“Well,” Persephone wanted to argue, but Hades was more than right. “Yes, yes I did. But dear, you still haven’t fully introduced yourself, although I do suppose that you are-” “Hades,” the older god cut her off and slightly blushed. He was hoping that the blue-eyed goddess, still standing a little bit higher on the steps than him, didn’t notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again, the next chapter will be up soon, so don't worry. Comments and kudos are always appreciated <3


	3. The strange girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What a strange girl you are, Persephone

_He was hoping that the blue-eyed goddess, still standing a little bit higher on the steps than him, didn’t notice._

Persephone, however, did notice the older god’s cheeks flushing with red, she found it adorable…and kind of hot.

“You know what…I like this place, why don’t you show me around?” she asked with a playful voice after a while. “Show you around- show you around the Underworld? The land of the dead?” Hades was shocked by this request, as it was the first time someone voluntarily decided to spend their time amongst the dead. “No silly, show me around Mount Olympus,” Persephone laughed. “Of course I mean the Underworld. I find it quite magical here, actually.” Upon hearing the word magical leave the beautiful goddess’ lips, Hades had to smile a little bit. This was, after all, his beloved home, which no one ever fully appreciated.

He reached his hand to Persephone to help her down from the few steps in front of his throne. Persephone gladly took his hand, not from fear that she could fall over, it was just a few steps after all. She took his hand because she felt incredibly drawn to the older god.

Her hand stayed in his even after she descended from the throne, neither of them wanting to let go, so they didn’t. Hades led her out of the throne room, straight to Cerberus. The canine was now, once again, on his usual high alert, at which Hades couldn’t help but smile. After all, the three-headed beast was his soft spot.

Persephone looked at Hades with a _Can I?_ look in her eyes and Hades nodded yes. The goddess dropped to her knees and the three heads began licking her face all at once. He watched as Persephone giggled and Cerberus was jumping around like when he was a puppy.

Hades decided that the next stop of this _Underworld Tour_ should be his garden with trees and flowers that could only grow there. When he told Persephone he was taking her to a garden, she let out a laugh. “Oh dear, how could flowers grow here, where Helios can’t touch them every day?” Her question was answered fairly quickly as her eyes fell upon the dark flowers. She had never seen anything quite like that. The flowers looked nothing like the ones she walked through every morning, the ones she and her mother took care of, these were in the shades of the older god’s ebony throne.

Persephone was mesmerized, running from one flower to another. She picked up a few and smelled them. She was surprised when she was met with the smell of incense being burned, instead of the typical flowery smell. In fact, the flowers smelled exactly like when mortals made offerings to the Olympians and burned incense. It was a smell she loved. She could imagine herself taking a walk around the dark-flower-filled garden every day. Hades couldn’t wrap his head around how happy the dead looking flowers made this young goddess.

The few times he brought them as a gift to Hera, to thank her and Zeus for inviting him to a feast, she laughed in his face. Other Olympians made a few jokes about how ‘only dead flowers could grow amongst the dead’. Hades tried to explain but he was interrupted by all the food and ambrosia being passed around. And yet, here was Persephone adoring every single flower that grew in the garden, just as she did with her mother’s flowers.

Before leaving the throne room, Hades quickly ordered the deities to prepare a feast, for when he and Persephone get back, so he hoped they did as he said.

Walking back by the river Styx, Persephone looked at him and asked: “My dear, what happens to the unburied souls that are standing at the other shore, waiting for Charon to let them pass?” “I can’t let them come here, they are not able to pay. They were not properly buried, no coin left for them to pass and so they have to spend the eternity there,” by the time he explained, they have reached Cerberus and the heavy gate. Hades held it open and Persephone slipped in.

He followed his uninvited guest inside and found her already sitting at the table yet she didn’t touch anything. “Persephone, aren’t you going to eat? You must be starving after your day of wandering,” he slightly smirked at the word wandering. She felt the sarcasm of Hades’ words. “Here,” he said, handing her a pomegranate. “At least eat some fruit.”

 _That I could do,_ Persephone thinks to herself. They continue talking about the Underworld, the Olympians, and even gardening. Eventually, they ran out of ambrosia to drink and realized that they talked well into the night.

To keep things appropriate, the god showed his guest to a separate bedroom, before heading to his own. _What a strange girl you are, Persephone,_ he thought as he fell asleep.

Neither of them could tell how many days had passed since Persephone made her way to Hades. All they knew was that their days were spent drinking ambrosia, walking through the fields of black flowers, talking, and most importantly getting close.

Hades had a second throne, exactly like his, made, so that the goddess could be by his side even during the day. Some days, she would sit and watch as he took care of the Underworld, making sure that no buried soul got left behind. Other days, she would spend hours in his garden, touching every single flower and tree individually, as she always did.

The god of the dead could tell that Persephone was slowly making her place in his heart and in his _kingdom_.

The way she put her hand so gently on each flower, as to not hurt it, barely even touching it, as if too much contact could kill it.

The way she danced around the halls whenever a deity would decide to sit by the harp and play.

The way she looked him in the eyes when he talked, as if breaking the eye-contact would be the last thing she ever did.

 _She_ was his first thought in the morning and his last thought before falling asleep.

 _What a strange girl you are, Persephone_.

The goddess fell in love with his garden. She fell in love with the way music bounced around the walls and she with it. More and more often, she caught the god staring at her with dreamy eyes, before quickly turning away. The Underworld started to become _her_ home as well.

Persephone lazily opened her eyes and rolled over in her bed. There, by her bedside, she found a bouquet of her beloved black flowers. As she picked them up an envelope with a dark-red wax seal fell out. Breath held back, she opened it and started reading the hand-written letter.

_You bring the light clasped around you, and although_

_I knew you’d bring it, knew it as I waited,_

_knew as you’d come that you’d come cloaked in light_

_I had forgotten what light meant, and so_

_this longed for moment, so anticipated,_

_I stand still, dazzled by my own delight._

_I see you, and you see me, and we smile_

_and your smile says you are as pleased as me_

_with everything and nothing still to say_

_all that we’ve saved and thought through all this time_

_boils down to affirmation now as we_

_stand here enlightened in my realm of grey._

Persephone read it over and over again. It was as if the words themselves came off of the paper and caressed her cheeks. Of course, she didn’t need to think twice, who the author was.

She climbed off the bed, and quietly tip-toed down the hall until she reached the doors to Hades’ bedroom. She pushed to door open, gently as to not startle the still sleeping god. His helmet and bident set by the bed along with his clothes. Persephone couldn’t take her eyes off of the bare chest in front of her. For a moment, she forgot why she came here in the first place. _The letter._

The young goddess slowly lifted the thin cover Hades slept under and slid in. At the movement around him, he finally woke up. His eyes met Persephone’s, submerged in silence. For a moment, she thought he might send her away. Sensing the thoughts racing through her eyes he opened his mouth to talk. “I won’t-“ Persephone cut him off.

“You are the kindest thing that ever happened to me, even if others can’t see it. When everyone else told me I was destined to be a forgotten goddess that nurtured flowers and turn meadows gold, you saw that the ichor that resides in me demanded its own throne. You showed me how a love like ours can turn even the darkest, coldest realm into the happiest of homes.” As she finished talking, she realized that Hades was now hovering over her, with his arms placed at the sides of her head. She could feel her cheek get caressed, but now it was his hands instead of the letter.

She placed her hands on the back of his neck and pulled him closer. She stared deeply into his eyes, before closing their distance completely, and locking their lips together. Hades kissed the goddess back, as if his ambrosia had been poisoned and her lips were the only antidote.

“My dearest Persephone, tell me you need me. Please.” he managed to say between the kisses. “You are the bones of my spine. You are the ground beneath my feet. You are made of deeper stuff than the earth can give.” Persephone couldn’t seem to find words to answer. In response, she slowly traced her hand up and down his chest and stomach.

Hades placed his hand on the edge of Persephone’s dress and looked her in the eyes, trying to spot any uncertainty or disagreement. Instead, he was met with a loving nod. The long dress went flying through the room.

His hands went tracing every curve of the goddess’ body they could reach. Her hands wandered down, towards his length. “I need you. I need you Hades.” With that Hades dove into Persephone; lust, hot air and passion filling the room.

Knowing how her mother must be freaking out, Persephone decided to sit down and write to her. How would she explain to the goddess of fertility on the earth, the cycle of life and death that her daughter chose to live amongst the dead?

_It is all over for me. I am His. Shadows flock to me, I rule them._

_Dead things beg for one last taste of life, I remind them what the air feels like to breathe in. See? I’m doing right by you, mother._

_But I chose Him. I chose me when I crawled my way to Hades through dirt and guts, won’t you embrace it yet?_

_I am not happiness and budding blossoms,_

_I was not born to be your golden sunlight._

_I was born to be a Queen, and I will always carry a shred of your earth in my heart. It will help make me a good ruler, mother._

_My mouth is the color of his mouth and his arms are no longer his arms;_

_they’re mute as smoke, as my first white dress_

_and the spear of his name, once ferocious, dissolves on my tongue like sugar._

_I bring balance to the Underworld, I belong here, on his lap, on this throne._

_Mother, this place is my blood and bones, so is he._

_Hades is my home._

It was when Hades peered into Persephone’s room, seeing her scribbling the letter to Demeter, he realized that she was now his. She became his Queen of the Underworld. She would rule the dead with him, sitting by his side.

He couldn’t help but whisper under his breath, “ _What a strange girl you are, Persephone_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so so much for reading, I hope I did the story justice. Also, all the poems/letters from this chapter are basically a bunch of poems by different authors smushed together. You can find them all on either Pinterest, Tumblr, or even just by googling "Hades to Persephone" or "Persephone to her mother". I love poems inspired by the two and they were, truly, what inspired this work. As always, feel free to leave comments xxx


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